The Night of Two Full Moons (A Turning Tides short)
by acornerika
Summary: Moxie was brought out to the rainforest to celebrate his hatching day. But then a vision swarms him just as his brother mysteriously disappears...But Moxie isn't a prophet. The moons are trying to tell him something - if only he'd listen.
1. Chapter 1

"Moxie!"

_I don't have much time._

A familiar voice whispered into Moxie's ears, taking him away from his peaceful slumber. Talons started to shake his head.

"Moxie, wake up!"

He finally opened his eyes to a blur. A nightwing with cloudy teal scales was shaking him awake. It was Countenance. Why his brother was waking him up so early was a mystery, but one Moxie didn't want to figure out. He just wanted sleep.

"Count, go back to sleep." Moxie grumbled as he slid to rest on his side, facing the wall.

"I've got something to show you. Come on, get up!"

"Maybe in an hour-" He yelped as Countenance grabbed his tail, pulling him halfway off the bed. Moxie finally opened his eyes, then rubbed them. Least his brother succeeded in waking him. Countenance waited for him.

Moxie sighed as he slowly got up. "What time is it?"

"Dusk." His brother smiled. "I've got something to show you. It's outside."

"Outside?" Moxie whined, then turned to his sister's bed across the room. Verace's bed. She still slept. "What about Verace?"

"She can wake herself up. Come on." Moxie followed Countenance out of the house and into the street.

The street was empty and quiet. Above the canopy, the sky was clear and indigo with one full moon in the middle and another peeking out from the leaves.

"This way." Countenance lifted into the air, higher than the houses and Moxie reluctantly followed after him, clumsily throwing his wings up into the air.

They passed over the houses filled with resting nightwings. Moxie yawned. Ahead of them, the square was clean. Stalls were already extruded, banners flying and posters hung for the annual Winter-Spring celebrations. It was normally too noisy for Moxie to like but the music was good enough.

It was always a good opportunity to look at new valuables too. Shiny things.

Moxie thought they were flying to Countenance's office of investigations but soon they flew over the wall of vines that secured the village, and into the dense rainforest. He can't remember the last time he went outside the wall with his brother.

Countenance had been hauled up in his office for the past few months. Busy, supposedly.

"Why are you taking me out here?" He finally asked.

Countenance looked over his shoulder. "It's a surprise." Was all he said.

Moxie grumbled at that. He was missing sleep after all.

Countenance drifted closer to the forest floor. It was better down there anyway. Less branches to fly into. Then he landed and trotted into the undergrowth with Moxie following warily.

"I've got something for you to solve," Countenance chirped. He stopped, waiting for Moxie to catch up and then pointed a claw at the ground.

Moxie inspected closely. "Those are talon-prints." He answered, lifting his gaze to his brother.

"Is that all?" Countenance lifted a brow. "Where are they heading?"

Moxie grumbled, then examined the prints. Sure enough there were more leading away from the brothers. "This way." He chased the prints. Then suddenly they stopped, about half a tails distance from the base of a thick tree.

"They stopped," Moxie observed.

"Look around you." His brother said from behind him.

Moxie scanned the area around the prints, then at the tree. "Claw marks." He touched the scars on the tree. The wood of the tree was still wet. "The marks are fresh. These were made recently."

"What are you alluding to?"

Claw marks littered the bark up the tree, becoming few but deeper. "Someone was climbing the tree." Moxie lifted into the air, following the path of claws up the tree then onto a branch. Orange beams from the falling Sun broke through the trees, mystifying the branch.

There was something about this branch but Moxie couldn't see it yet. Then, light shone into his eyes. He scanned for the source.

There!

There was a metal object hidden in the leaves and Moxie pulled it out. It was a small plate of polished metal with a intricately etched rod extended to the side.

Moxie floated to the ground, confused. He'd never seen anything like it in his life. he showed it to Countenance.

"You found it!" Countenance beamed.

"What is it?"

"It's your badge!"

"Badge?"

Countenance suddenly jumped at him, hugging him. "Happy hatching day!" He said, letting go. "Congratulations, little brother! You're my protege now."

"Protege?" Moxie's heart jumped at the realisation. "Wait! You mean-"

"Yep! You're my partner now. Together. Think about it: brothers, solving mysteries side by side," he said. "Just like you've always wanted. I'm going to show you all the ropes."

Moxie hugged him. The first hug wasn't enough to contain his excitement. "Thank you, Count. Best day ever!" When he let go, Moxie inspected the badge - _his_ badge. It might've been a piece of metal but to Moxie, it meant more than that. "I promise I'll make you proud."

"I know you will."

_You already have_. His brother thought.

"Maybe now I get to see what's in that secret safe of yours."

Countenance laughed. "You're going to have to find the key first! It's never going to be too far away." He winked. "I'm going to find the best first mystery for the both of us to solve. Maybe I'll let you in to the case I've been working on for a while now..." His brother's voice trailed off.

Countenance was starting to walk away, probably to lead them back to the village, but Moxie stayed just a little longer, looking up at the branch that held his badge. He still couldn't believe today at all. Countenance went to all that trouble - the prints, the claw marks on the tree and finally, making sure the Sun shone on that exact spot on the branch. No wonder Moxie had to be woken up so early.

_Happy hatching day to me_. Moxie thought. It was his tenth.

He looked up to the canopy, seeing the silvery beam of a moon shine down and then the other-

Moxie froze, the badge in his talon fell but he couldn't reach to catch it. He couldn't move and he didn't know why. His heart thumped in his ears.

Darkness filled his eyes. Moxie couldn't look around but soon the darkness slowly circled around a shape. That shape...

It was a dragon. A nightwing. A nightwing with familiar light underscales. One of their wings was broken, pointing upwards, the tips pale.

It was Countenance.

_Stop it!_ Moxie tried to yell but couldn't. _Whatever is happening, stop it right now!_

Behind Countenance was a tall dark dragon. It was big, their wings folded but he could see the tips. The dragon was fully black - no, it had a bronze colour. But it wasn't moving, as if smiling at its work.

Then the darkness was gone. Countenance and the big black dragon was gone.

Moxie breathed heavily. He stamped the ground, finally able to move again. He spotted his badge on the ground and picked it up, smudging off the dirt. Around him, everything was normal, as if it didn't happen.

Moonlight still shone through the canopy. _What were you showing me?_ He didn't understand what happened.

But Moxie had a bad feeling in his gut.

"Count!" There was no reply. Moxie sprinted in the direction of where Countenance went. "Count!" He tried again, scanning the undergrowth. There wasn't a dragon in sight. He dipped his head, allowing thoughts in. He was a mindreader after all.

There was nothing. The only thoughts that he captured were birds frightened and other animals being vigilant.

"Countenance! Where are you?" Panic rippled him. "Where did you go?" He breathed.

Moxie lifted into the air and flew home. _Maybe he couldn't wait for me and went home._ He thought with little assurance.

By the time he got back home, Verace was up, eating a bowl of strawberries, as though she'd been waiting.

"Where did you fly off to?" Verace questioned, chewing.

"Countenance was showing me something. Have you seen him? Did he come home?" Moxie peered into the bedroom, which, of course, was empty.

"You just said he was with you," Verace replied. "No, I haven't seen him. Not since yesterday morning, like, you know, every time we go to sleep."

"I know," Moxie sighed. "It's just that - we were next to each other and then.."

"And then? Then what?"

Moxie gritted his teeth, deciding not to tell her about the vision or the badge he clutched in his talon. It was useless anyway. Countenance needed to tell him what to do, like he said. "Then he was gone."

"So what? He probably had some important work to do. Speaking of which, so do we." Verace stood up and pushed the empty bowl into a cupboard. "I'm going to be late for guard duty and you're going to be late for patrolling.

"I know." He breathed slowly. All the energy he had was gone.

His stomach rumbled and Moxie decided it was worth eating something before going to patrolling. He out a small cut of goat leg from a box, setting it on a plate.

"Hey, Moxie," Verace called softly.

"Hmm?" When Moxie turned around, Verace was there and she hugged him, her claws threading his spikes gently.

"Happy hatching day." As she pulled away, she presented a small pouch to him.

Moxie took it. The sides bulged slightly and seemed to move around. Delicately, he pulled out one of its contents'. It was a small pearl, gleaming white. Glistening.

Beautiful.

"Thanks, Verace." Moxie smiled.

Moxie set the pouch of pearls on a shelf next to his other minerals; a small chunk of ebony, a piece of uncut jade and a gold nugget. His treasures. All beautiful.

After eating, it was time for him and Verace to go to work. Moxie convinced himself that Countenance would be back when the night was over.

The night went swiftly and Moxie flew home as soon as dawn broke.

Countenance wasn't there.


	2. Chapter 2

Moxie vowed to wait all day for Countenance to come back, despite Verace's protest that he'd be back the next night. But patrolling all night took its toll and Moxie fell asleep with his head on his talons outside the bedroom. He cursed himself when he woke up, realising that the sky was already turning dark.

If Countenance wasn't back by last dawn then he had to be back now, right?

Moxie peeked into the bedroom. Verace slept soundly, curled up in a ball with a wing over her. But Countenance's bed was empty, still. His pillow was neatly placed at the head, just like it was last night. So Countenance didn't come home.

Other than home, Countenance was at his office, busy. Moxie often brought him something to eat when he wasn't home by dinner. His brother usually discussed his current case when Moxie came around. Moxie didn't say anything but listened. It was fascinating to hear his brother's mind work out loud because he wasn't always like that, not at home, anyway.

Countenance had mysteries from all across Pyrrhia to solve. Though, more often than not it was simply a stolen item or a dragonet going missing.

_So what? He's probably busy._ Verace's words rung in his mind.

But he'd never just fly off like this. Moxie then decided it was time to visit the office. He made sure to grab his badge, just in case.

Countenance's office was on the very outer curve of the crescent of the nightwing village. It was secluded there. Quiet. Unremarkable. It the perfect place to solve a good mystery.

When Moxie approached the door, he expected Countenance to come out to greet him and take him inside with a giant smile. But there was nothing.

The entrance was a pair of wooden sliding doors and they were slightly opened. Moxie pushed it further into the walls and leaned inside to the orange tinted room. "Countenance?" It wasn't like him to leave the doors unlocked.

Inside the office, there were windows at the back but most of the light came from a bundle of orange bioluminescent fireberries hanging from the ceiling. They were a staple in the rainforest kingdom and every house had them. Fire created too much smoke and was often dangerous to use as lighting. So nightwings created trees that grew small balls of colourful light. Moxie didn't understand how but it worked.

Below the fireberries was a long desk that faced the door. Papers and scrolls were scattered around the desk but the desk itself was clean with the exception of an unravelled scroll. Moxie picked up one of the scrolls on the ground and opened it. Written in the scroll were the details of a past case. Why Countenance was going through a past investigation puzzled him but Moxie put it at the back of his mind.

Moxie placed the scroll down on the desk, along with his badge. His talon was getting sweaty holding it, anyway. He shifted his gaze to a shelf at the far left corner of the room. Usually Countenance had all his scrolls on the shelf, including clues, odd details and evaluations. But those kind of things were placed in the middle part of the shelf. The top was reserved for the past cases and the very bottom was for present cases.

The bottom shelf had a single scroll, which was odd. Countenance was always busy and working on different cases at the same time. He was compartmentalising, as his brother called it.

Moxie approached the scroll, noting that some of the edges were tattered and slightly soiled. He pulled it out, placing it on the desk and unfurled the ribbon that kept it together. The end spilled over the edge and curled on the ground. It looked old.

At the top was a sketch of an old hollowed tree, standing but it was short. Despite this, the sketch had depictions of branches still growing leaves. It was dated six years ago.

This was an ongoing investigation.

Below the sketch were short sentences of clues:

"_One adult female nightwing deceased at the scene._

_One rainwing witness. Saw the victim prior but didn't witness the murder. Don't think he did it._

_Body wasn't found until morning."_

Moxie grimaced. These details were dated back years ago, which meant Countenance had been working on it for years. Still worked on it. And it didn't help Moxie at all to why Countenance was still missing.

It was time for him to ask for help.

Moxie rolled the scroll up and placed it back on the shelf, but the sketch of the tree fell out. Not bothering to put it back, he simply picked it up and placed it on the desk.

On the corner wall to his left was the safe. Moxie inspected it. Countenance said he had valuable information in the safe, and Moxie never saw him open it.

The lid of the safe wasn't opened and had a single keyhole. Moxie had never seen the key either. Knowing his brother, the key was probably stashed in the last place any dragon would think to look.

Or he swallowed it, which Moxie found very amusing.

Moxie exited the office, making sure to close the doors behind him. He made his way to the square. Dim daylight still lit the square, which meant nightwings were beginning to wake up. He only hoped that the dragon he needed was awake by now, too.

He needed Diamondclaws. She was the mayor of the village. She knew everything, of course, or at least had the means to find out anything. Which meant she either knows where Countenance was or could help Moxie find him.

The mayor's office sat a small distance from the square, and to Moxie's luck, he heard footsteps inside. He knocked on the door and waited shortly. Diamondclaws opened the door. She was black with pale wings with gleaming white claws, like white quartz.

"Moxie," she said. "What can I do for you?"

"It's about my brother, Countenance."

"I see. Come in." Moxie followed her in. Her office was small. Sconces held white fireberries around the room and there was a single yellow fireberry on her desk.

Diamondclaws sat behind her desk and Moxie took his place sitting on a cushion.

"Is something wrong?" She asked him.

"I don't know where he is. I was hoping you knew, like, maybe you sent him away somewhere or..." Moxie shrugged.

_Odd_. Thought Diamondclaws.

"I don't know where he is," she responded calmly, yet her face was puzzled. "I haven't hired him recently. I'm afraid I don't know. Are you sure he's not just busy working outside the village? I know he takes trips to the Scorpion Den every now and again."

"I'm sure. And I know he leaves the village when he can't avoid it but it's just not like him to leave without saying anything. I mean, he was right next to me yesterday when we were out in the rainforest, and then he's just gone," Moxie explained. "I waited at home for him but he never came. I went to his office and he wasn't there either."

Diamondclaws nodded. She looked to the edge of the desk, seeming to calculate something and then sighed. "I'm afraid I can't help you."

That came as a surprise to Moxie. "What? Why not? Countenance is out there somewhere. He's missing. He's a nightwing in the rainforest and he's missing. Please, Diamondclaws, you have to help me."

"I can't. I'm sorry. I have my claws full at the moment. The 29th annual Winter-Spring celebrations is happening in two nights. Two nights," she said.

"But, my brother-"

"And there are two known criminals that have been sighted outside the rainforest, close to Jade Mountain. The Dragons of Destiny don't need a pair of lowlifes to interfere with their school and I can't have them attacking my guests. I wish I could help you, Moxie, I really do."

What was he supposed to do now? Moxie started to lean forward and he closed his eyes.

"But perhaps there's another dragon that can help you," Diamondclaws said suddenly. That piqued his interest. Moxie listened carefully. "Komodo came to the village just two nights ago."

"Komodo?"

"He's a rainwing. He operates a lot like your brother but he specialises predominantly on finding other dragons. The best, I hear. I also heard that he sometimes works with your brother. Komodo normally works out of the Scorpion Den but he's here now," she said. "If any dragon can find your brother, it's him. I'll give you his address." Diamondclaws ripped a piece of paper from a parchment and dipped her claws in ink to write.

"Thank you," Moxie said. Suddenly everything didn't feel so bad. "Thank you for telling me."

Diamondclaws smiled in return, giving him the paper "I'm sorry I couldn't help you anymore, but I know you'll find him, Moxie. I know you will."

"This is good enough. Thanks, again." Moxie left the mayor's office and examined the address.

He'd never heard of Komodo. Countenance never mentioned him. He only hoped Diamondclaws was right about the rainwing.

Komodo's temporary office was along the inner side of the crescent of the village, low and close the barracks. The building looked small, about the same size as Diamondclaws' mayor office. Instead of stone, it was made of wood and fastened with vines and sap.

The front door creaked as he knocked. No noise came from inside.

Then the door latched open, but there was no dragon that greeted him, just the wood on the opposing side.

Moxie glanced inside, confused. "Hello?"

"Hello there," said a voice beside him.

Moxie jumped. It was a rainwing with damp yellow scales with pale blue underscales. His orange snout looked bewildered and his brows lifted above his emerald eyes.

His tail curled around his talons. He must've opened the door with his tail.

"I hope you're not wandering," said the rainwing. "Do nightwings wander a lot or is that just you?"

"Um, no, I'm looking for a dragon named Komodo. Diamondclaws told me he'd be here but if he's not here then I can-"

"I'm Komodo." He extended a talon, then took it back. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Moxie. I don't know if you know me but Diamondclaws said you knew my brother, Countenance."

"Oh yes, Countenance," Komodo smiled at that, suddenly feeling friendlier. "I stopped by to see him this morning but then stupid me remembered you nightwings are asleep by the morning. How is he?"

"He's missing."

"Oh?"_ Now that is peculiar_.

"I was told you can help me find him. You find dragons, which I really, really need right now."

Komodo shifted to the other side of the room, passing by Moxie, to a basket of scrolls. He pulled one out a scroll and opened it, grabbing a vial of ink as well. He sat on the floor. "Tell me what happened."

Moxie sat, curling his tail. He rubbed his snout. "Well, we were out in the rainforest-"

"Why were you out there?"

"It was my hatching day and he was going to show me a surprise."

"Oh, happy hatching day. Always a momentous occasion I find," Komodo said. "Sorry, carry on."

Moxie told him about the surprise; finding the badge and Countenance announcing that Moxie was his protege. He stayed back a while, whilst he thought Countenance was going back home.

Moxie didn't tell him about the vision, though. He felt like Komodo wouldn't have believed him.

"And I went to find him and he was gone," he concluded. "I waited for him but nothing. I even went to his office and he wasn't there."

"I see, I see." Whilst Moxie was explaining, Komodo was writing down notes, and then stopped. "I can't help you."

"But I need you." _First Diamondclaws, now Komodo._ "Please, why can't you help me?"

"Mostly because I doubt you could afford me," Komodo said simply.

"I can." Moxie closed his eyes for a moment. Yes, there was only so much he and his siblings could afford. But he thought of his gems. They were worth something, at least. "I don't care how much. I'll do anything to find him. Please, Komodo. I don't know what else to do. I don't know who else to ask for help," he pleaded. "I just want my brother back."

Komodo breathed slowly. He was silent but his mind wasn't. Moxie heard thoughts fly around his mind, and his eyes were calculating something.

Then Komodo spoke. "Fine."

"Really?"

"Fine, yes, yes. 'Friends and family' discount." Moxie smiled at that. "I normally make my customers pay half up front."

"I'm sure I can get something together by the morning. I-"

"No, pay me when I find him," he said. "That's the least I can do."

"Thank you, Komodo."

"But I can only start in two days. I still have to unpack and I have two criminals to find. Shouldn't be too hard but it'll take time."

Moxie didn't want to say anything. He wanted Komodo to look for his brother immediately but he already showed kindness to him. Anymore was overstepping.

The nightwing nodded and thanked the rainwing. That was all he could do, and then went home, because, after all, the two moons were glowing in the night and Moxie had to get to work.


	3. Chapter 3

Moxie wanted to take the night off. His commanding officer didn't mind; it wasn't like Moxie took time off at all. He just wanted time to think. So he travelled outside the rainforest that night, just a few hours from sunset.

Moxie chose a spot on a flat rock next to a river bank. The sound of trickling water was all he could hear but soon became white noise. The tall trees of the rainforest were distant now but he wasn't leaving. He couldn't.

He sat back, on his tail to look up at the two massive moons in the sky. They weren't full anymore - that was how quick two days went.

Two days since his hatching day.

Two days and Moxie still wasn't any closer to finding Countenance.

And the moons...they weren't exactly helping.

"You were trying to show me something," Moxie said, looking up. The moons stared at him. "What? What were you trying to show me?" He shook his head. The moons weren't doing anything. "That you gave me the wrong gift? Was that it? I was born too early and all I got was reading minds.

"I don't want to read minds. It's wrong. I don't have friends because all dragons keep secrets and the last thing they want is to be heard - heard by someone like me. You know what, moons? It's all your fault," Moxie cursed. "So tell me, what did you show me?

"You have to tell me. You showed me a vision and I want to know what it truly meant. Are you telling me that my brother is dead? Am I cursed to always know that he's dead and I have no way of actually finding out? Who killed my brother?" Tears started to well in his eyes and he wiped them away. "I couldn't see the other dragon. I couldn't see who did it. You have to tell me who that dragon was!

"You did this. And if you're not going to help me then I'll find other dragons to help me."

Moxie took another look at the moons but found nothing. He looked away._ I'm going to find you, Countenance. I promise I will._

He spread his wings, lifted into the sky and didn't look back at either of the moons.

* * *

Moxie went to visit the warden of the prison. Sometimes Countenance's investigations would lead to some dragons being arrested and forced to serve prison time for their crime. Moxie had a potential idea that a former prisoner might've been the conspirer of his brother's disappearance, or perhaps inspired another to do it on their account.

He didn't feel that it was likely but it was something to do on his precious night off.

He explained to the warden what happened to his brother and quickly complied with his request. The soft spoken warden gave him a list of dragons that have been put away, perhaps with vengeance in mind for his brother. He thanked the warden and stashed the list of names in his satchel. It was easier to fly without holding onto a loose piece of paper. He flew to Komodo's office to give the investigator the names, even though Komodo said he wouldn't start looking until tomorrow.

Moxie knocked on the door and it creaked open but Komodo wasn't inside. The room was different. There was a desk that centered the room, like Countenance's office. It was neat. A scroll was unfurled on the desk and there was a vial of ink in the corner. Beside the desk was the basket of scrolls he saw earlier.

He approached the desk, taking out the list of names from his satchel and placed it flat. He glanced at the unfurled scroll and noticed something familiar. Circling around to see it more clearly, he noticed a sketch of the tree in the corner of the scroll. It was missing a few details, like the branches and leaves but clearly, it was the same sketch Countenance had in his scroll - the investigation that had been going for six years.

It crossed Moxie's mind as odd but there had to be a logical explanation...right? Komodo and Countenance worked together in some cases, Diamondclaws said so, yet he couldn't help but feel like something was off. Like something wasn't-

"What are you doing here?"

Moxie jumped at the interruption. It was Komodo. The rainwing eyed him warily at the doorway.

He glanced at the scroll and then back at Komodo. Surely he didn't think that Moxie tampered with it. "I - I didn't do anything," He stammered. Komodo lifted a brow. "I was just - I wanted to give you something." He quickly tapped the paper he placed on the desk. "You weren't here and - and you left the door open, so I came in."

"Hmph." Komodo came closer and examined the paper. "What is it?" He sounded more confused than anything else. Moxie thought he'd be more angry that he just came into his office.

"I talked to the warden of the prison. He wrote down a bunch of names of dragons Countenance helped put away. I thought that maybe they might have something to do with his disappearance. I thought maybe it might be useful," Moxie said, his voice low.

Komodo breathed deeply, closing his eyes for a moment. _Oh, moons_. "OK. OK," he said cautiously. "I get that you're trying to be helpful."

"I am!" Moxie blurted. Then he realised that he was much too eager. "I am," he said in a softer tone.

"Really, I do get it. But trust me in what I'm doing," Komodo said. "I've already checked the prison records. All the information showed that most dragons he'd put away are still in prison, those that were let out left the village immediately, probably to the Scorpion Den or another town."

"Oh." Now Moxie felt a little worse._ But I did try..._ "Wait, but you said that you wouldn't start until-"

"Until tomorrow? I got bored, and I know what I said but I also know that Count means a lot to you."

Moxie nodded. "He does. I just want him back." No simpler truth couldn't have been told.

"He's a good friend to me too. Listen, I don't know what it's like to a have a little brother but if you were mine, I think I'd be the happiest dragon in the world."

Moxie was flustered. Was that really how Countenance thought of him? Or even Verace? Truth be told, he loved his older brother and sister. He couldn't imagine his life without them.

"Thanks." Moxie smiled to him and Komodo nodded back. "I promise I won't interfere again."

Komodo snorted and then smiled in return. He walked by him, patting his head and then tapping his claws on the wooden desk. "Also promise you won't go snooping around my office again. There's a lot of...erm delicate information and I must uphold complete customer anonymity and integrity."

Moxie rolled his eyes, still smiling. Somehow the big words didn't work for Komodo at all. "Whatever you say." But he was still puzzled by the sketch and he figured he couldn't do anymore harm by asking. "Komodo," he garnered the rainwing's attention. "Where did you get that sketch, in that scroll?"

"This one?" He pointed to the sketch of the tree and Moxie nodded. "Count gave it to me. A while back, he wanted my help with a case."

"What was the case about?"

"Well, I guess he won't yell at me for telling you but it's a very old case."

"Because he started it six years ago?"

"Yes, and because it was his very first. I don't remember the exact details but it was about a very old nightwing suddenly found dead near the mangroves. A rainwing found their body and reported it. I guess your brother was very intrigued and wanted to solve it. I don't think he has yet."

"No. No he hasn't," Moxie said. "What did he need your help with?"

"He needed my help to find a nightwing named Pathfinder. He believed that Pathfinder was the dragon that killed the old nightwing, or at least he had a talon to play in it. A few months on and Pathfinder has been the only dragon I've never been able to find."

"Do you think Pathfinder is still out there? Maybe he didn't want Countenance looking into it anymore?" There was always the chance.

"No," Komodo answered. "I think Pathfinder's dead. Probably died somewhere and rotted away before anyone could find him." He tapped the scroll. "I was looking into the case, looking for a clue but I haven't found anything."

And that was that. "Thank you, Komodo," he said. "Thank you so much for doing all this. I'll leave you to do what you do best."

"Hopefully not too far."

Moxie opened the door and closed it gently behind him. Suddenly, he had hope. Hope that the too moons were wrong and that Komodo would find Countenance alive.

"Why hello there," said a dragon beside him. For once he didn't jump.

It was another nightwing about the same age as him. She was dark with shadowy malachite underscales. She didn't look familiar in the slightest.

A quiet aura accompanied her, which wasn't something he felt often.

"Hello?" Moxie sniffed the air. This nightwing smelled of birds.

"Yes, yes," she offered a small smile. "You must be Moxie, Count's little brother."

"Yes?" _What does she want?_

"Sorry. I'm Deception. Please, don't let the name fool you. I wear my heart on my shoulder, or so I've been told."

"OK?" Moxie chose not to believe that. For a dragon with promising words, her mind didn't bleed a sound. "How do you know Countenance?"

"Oh, I hired him for a case. Yeah, he's been working on it for quite a while. But I haven't been able to get a hold of him. Have you seen him?"

"He's missing. I've been looking for him myself, actually."

"Missing? That explains a lot. For a while I thought he was ignoring me. Oh well," Deception said. "What am I going to do now? Oh my, oh my."

"I could - maybe, help you?" Moxie said sheepishly. "What case was this?"

"It's about an old nightwing. Yeah, found dead way out. Like, way out there," she said, gesturing to the rainforest. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"Urm, no," he lied. "No I don't know anything about it." Something felt wrong about this dragon. "So, how long has he been investigating this case of yours?"

"About a year or two. A while."

Moxie just stared at her. Deception just looked nervous and laughed anxiously at him. He imagined a fire with smouldering cinders raising from the heat, yet none of the cinders were glowing. _Why isn't this working?_

"I'm going to see this rainwing now. I hear he's quite good." Deception walked passed him but Moxie kept his eyes on her until she invited herself into Komodo's office.

Moxie didn't trust Deception at all.

Because everything about her felt wrong.

Because he couldn't read her mind.

Because he knew she was lying.


	4. Chapter 4

After all this time, Moxie figured it was time to see his old teacher. His teacher was an old nightwing named Moonwatcher or Moon, for short - the first true seer and mindreader in a two thousand years. When Moxie was able to talk, Moon was there to guide him and learn how to control his gift, so that he didn't drown in the thoughts of other dragons, and how to let thoughts in so that he could.

He hasn't seen Moon in years - he didn't need to, but if anyone could help him with his vision it was Moon.

Moxie went to Diamondclaws first. He needed permission to go to Queen Glory's palace where Moon resided. Once he got the slip, he didn't waste any time and flew straight to the palace. He showed the slip to a guard when he reached the palace and the guard showed him to Moon's residence.

It was a tall tower, and if he remembered correctly, there was an observatory at the very top. A true seer's tower.

He brought a satchel with him around his neck. It was easier to stash away the slip than to hold it throughout the flight. Now that he was where he needed to be, he simply slid the slip back inside, just in case anyone was wondering why he was here.

He knocked on the tower door and it opened. He expected to see Moon, whom he remembered as a large nightwing. But instead, a nightwing with odd dark gold scales greeted him.

Sunseer. Moon's son.

"Sorry to bother you," Moxie said. "Is Moon around? I need to see her."

Sunseer shook his head. "She's not here. She's in Riverwatch right now and won't be back for a few days," he said. _She's with Father._

Moxie looked down, thinking of Diamondclaws. _Why didn't you know this?_

"But maybe I can help you." Sunseer smiled and stepped back, gesturing his wing for Moxie to come inside. He couldn't refuse that and stepped in, with Sunseer closing the door behind him.

It was just as he remembered. Long stairs in the corner that took you higher with a window under the staircase. Scones from the walls held blue and yellow fireberries. Green mats were placed flat in front of the small fireplace. Moxie remembered one of his first lessons was to find a calming vector to pull back to when thoughts became too loud. His vector were the crackles of cinders.

He could see cinders now, in his mind. Each one was a dragon close enough for him to read. There was a glowing cinder that was Sunseer's mind but he chose not to look too closely.

"One moon or two?" Sunseer suddenly asked. Moxie turned to him. The dark gold nightwing was pouring steaming water into a wooden bowl.

"Hm?"

"I see the silver drop next to your eyes. Were you hatched under one moon or two?"

"One," he said.

"Yeah, me too." Once the bowl was full, Sunseer dropped several bright flowers in and placed it next to the fireplace. He came to a mat and sat down, patting a mat in front of him for Moxie to sit on.

Moxie took a seat. "Actually, that's why I'm here. See, I - I was supposed to hatch under two but I missed it by a few hours. One of the moons were full but the other was slightly dark."

"Oh?"

"I was hatched a mind reader and I've always been one but suddenly, a few nights ago, I had a vision." Sunseer tilted his head at that, probably as perplexed as Moxie was about it. "And then my brother went missing. I've been trying to find him ever since. I think the moons are trying to tell me something."

"The moons?" Sunseer shook his head. "No. I don't think so. With what you're describing, it sounds like you hatched under two moons after all."

"But I've never had a vision before. Why did I get one at that moment?" He asked. Sunseer answered with a shrug of his wings. "The moons are trying to tell me something."

"Maybe your seer ability is weak," Sunseer suggested. "I'm sure it's a possibility."

"No," Moxie simply said. It wasn't possible. He knew it.

But the seer went on. "Have you had strange dreams? Dreams can be a vessel for your predictions. I know I've seen the future with my dreams."

Moxie continually shook his head. He clenched the mat in his talons. "No. The moons are trying to tell me something," he said firmly but calmly.

"The moons can't tell you anything. Moons are not sentient. You have to believe in yourself-"

"I am believing in myself." He was breathing heavily now.

"Then there's more to believe," Sunseer said. "That you're a seer too."

"NO!" Moxie took to his feet. Sunseer flinched. "Why aren't you listening to me? I'm not a seer! I'm not! The moons are trying to tell me something. That's why I came here in the first place, to find out that they're trying to tell me but nothing is helping. You are not helping!"

Moxie pointed to the window. "I saw my brother dead! And that vision - the vision that the moons gave me is the only way to find out who killed him," He seethed, looking Sunseer in the eyes. "I came here for Moon, instead you were here, not helping me at all. I can't believe you're Moon's son!"

Sunseer stayed silent. He seemed to have recoiled backwards, making himself small. His eyes were shiny. Teary.

Moxie noticed it and he stepped away. Now that he was done, he realised just how quiet the palace was. _What have I done? I'm not like this. I don't yell, not like that_. "I'm sorry," he said calmly and meant it. "I'm sorry."

Sunseer sniffled and nodded. "I know," he said softly. "I saw this happening, in a dream. I just didn't believe it."

"I'm sorry. I truly am." Moxie approached the door and opened it, then looked back at Sunseer. He stood still, watching the ground but looked at Moxie when he spoke. "I'll leave now." The nightwing didn't protest and Moxie felt his eyes watching as he left.

* * *

After everything that happened with Sunseer, the best thing Moxie decided he needed was time alone. With time being around midnight, he didn't think he'd get the isolation he needed if he went back home to the village. He thought of checking in with Komodo but if the rainwing found his brother, it'd be the first thing he'd hear about the moment he got home.

Instead, he decided to go visit the last place he saw Countenance. Komodo might've checked it already but he just wanted to make sure Komodo didn't miss anything. Or, within a small possibility, the dragon responsible for Countenance's disappearance might've came back - a small possibility, but at this point nothing felt certain anymore.

He found the tree with claw marks - the tree that hid his badge. The same tree whose leaves allowed the light of the moon to filter down to give Moxie his vision. The first and only vision he'd ever see in his life.

It was already a bad idea, he realised when he descended to the ground. Even for him, darkness loomed all around. For a moment, he thought he was having another vision, until his talon knocked into a stick. Which meant he was still moving.

Which meant he definitely wasn't having a vision.

No matter, anyway. He'd rather not have a vision, not if all of them crippled him with the same paralysing fear.

He grabbed the stick of the ground. It was stocky and thick, and hopefully not too damp.

Heat rose at the back of his throat and he blew a small plume of fire at the stick, igniting one end. There were rules around the use of fire in the rainforest but he figured a small torch wouldn't do any harm.

Now he could finally see in the general vicinity.

He turned around and-

"Ah!" He jumped backwards from the black figure just behind him. It didn't move. It didn't react. He leaned the make-shift torch forward, realising that it was simply a plump bush.

"Funny," he snickered at himself. "You look like a dragon." He then paused, realising a thought. "A plant...in the shape of a dragon."

The vision flashed before his eyes, suddenly seeing something that wasn't there before. Something he didn't even consider.

Moxie dropped the torch, hearing the fire sizzle in the damp ground and stomped on it until the orange cinders turned black. He scanned the canopy for the white light of the moons, finding the moons in the sky and stared widely at their light.

"There weren't two dragons in my vision," Moxie said out loud, enough for himself to hear. The moons heard him too, he was sure of that. "You weren't trying to tell me who. You were trying to tell me where." Another image flashed in his mind, the image of a piece of paper with talon-drawn lines. "And I bet I can find out where he might be."


	5. Chapter 5

Energy pumped to his wings and Moxie took to the air, flying into the higher branches and beelined towards Countenance's office. He heard noise coming from the square but ignored it and focused.

The doors to the office were unlocked and Moxie pushed them open. Yesterday, when he was here, the sketch of the tree fell out of the scroll and Moxie left it on the desk. Sure enough, the piece of paper was still there.

Moxie took it and went to the pile of fresh scrolls in the corner of the room. He wasted no time opening it, instead ripping off a corner. Countenance wouldn't mind, not if it meant finding him.

He then searched the room for ink or charcoal, looking at the shelves and then the desk, and then resorting to sifting through the scrolls on the ground.

Nothing.

"Count, why are you so messy!" Moxie paused; breathing; calculating; evaluating, just like Countenance would've done. "There's charcoal at home."

He stashed the paper and sketch into his satchel and darted outside, not waiting to close the doors behind him. He flew home, even though he heard someone call his name.

He barged inside and headed immediately for their room, knowing there were supplies he needed in there.

He emptied the contents of the satchel on the small desk and reached for the stick of charcoal on a higher shelf attached to the wall, using the desk to hold himself up. He grabbed a stick but then slipped and the paper flew across the room.

_No time_. He thought. He knew the sketch anyway. He pressed the charcoal on the flat surface of the desk and begun to draw. It wasn't a sketch this time, though, he made sure to fill in the trunk with the dark charcoal, mimicking what he saw in his vision.

The trunk was short, cut off, as if the rest of the tree just snapped one day. There was a large hollow - yes, he remembered that. Short, spiky branches with few leaves grew from the trunk, and now he saw why he thought it was a dragon.

Lastly, he drew Countenance's body under the tree. His writing talon was shaking and the charcoal stick snapped.

Moxie cursed himself and checked his talon. His blue palm was now black and dull, and fragments of the charcoal littered the desk.

"Moxie!" Bellowed the voice behind him.

He turned around. It was Verace in the doorway.

"Were you scribbling on the desk? We have paper for that, you know!" She almost hissed. "And where have you been? I've been looking for you."

"You were looking for me?" He asked.

"Of course I was!" Her mind steamed. "I saw that you didn't sign your roster for today, you didn't come to work. Next I hear you asked your supervisor to let you have the night off and I thought '_Moxie doesn't do that_'. Of course, he didn't know where you went, so I went looking," She said. "I don't need two siblings running around on a whim."

"Count is missing!" He blurted.

Verace shook her head. "No. He can't be. He's just-"

"Two nights, Verace. _Two nights_. Two nights he's been gone and no one knows where he is," He said. Verace gaped, about to speak but Moxie spoke up. "I know. He's been gone before, for longer too, but he always told us and left a note when he left. Always. Now suddenly he's gone. He hasn't told anyone and he hasn't left any note," he said. "There's no coincidence there. He's missing. Why can't you accept that?"

Verace was taken aback. Of course, he'd never spoken to her like that before. He was surprised himself, but Verace seemed to take it well. He sensed herr mind calm.

"I know," she said. "I didn't know what you'd think."

"It doesn't matter what _I_ think or what the neighbours think, or who thinks what! You have to take action, no matter what, as long as you believe in what you're doing is right," Moxie said, then thinking of Sunseer. "And without hurting anyone else."

Verace seemed to smile at that. "You're right. I just don't know what to do."

"I know what to do, and right now I need your help," he said. "Please, help me find Count."

"Alright, little brother. Tell me how we can find Count."

Moxie smiled, then gestured for her to come over. "You have to believe what I'm going to say next."

Verace came over. "And I suddenly don't feel enthusiastic anymore."

He snickered at her and she poked her tongue. "I had a vision."

"A vision? You?"

"I know. I know. I'm a mind reader and I've always been one but the moons gave me a vision. I know how that sounds but it's true."

It took Verace a moment, but she went along with it. "Alright, you had a vision. What did you see?"

"I saw..." The vision flashed in his eyes and he blinked it away, and said slowly. "I saw Count dead."

Verace's eyes went wide. "What?"

"I know. I wish it wasn't true but after all this time...Count's gone. I've been trying to find out who killed him. I thought I saw another dragon in my vision but it wasn't. It was a tree. This tree." He tapped the desk and Verace turned her gaze to it. "The moons were trying to tell me where he was."

"I know this, this tree," she said. "This is Fate's Hollow. I know where this is."

"Can you show me?" Verace nodded. She started to head out of the room. "Can you take your spear too? Just in case." She didn't reply but Moxie took that as a yes.

He picked the paper off the ground and slid it into his satchel. He met Verace outside. She checked the end of the spear and said that it was ready. She lifted into the air and Moxie followed after her.

* * *

"We have to be careful here, Moxie," Verace said to him. "We're a little far from home." She was ahead of him and soared through the trees. Moxie was only able to spot her when she flapped her wings, even then it was difficult. This was the one time he wished it was day.

They had to fly outside the rainforest and trail the border of the rainforest kingdom to avoid the visiting dragons for the Winter-Spring celebrations. When they got close to the mangroves, they flew back into the safety of the trees

They had flown for a while when Verace suddenly descended. Moxie threw his wings forward to stop himself and slowly fell to the ground behind Verace.

He felt a chill run up his spine and he shook his wings compulsively, hoping to ward off the sudden ominous feeling circling his mind. "Are we here?"

"Oh, Moxie," Verace said softly, shuddering, yet still not moving as if she were frozen.

"What?" Moxie came up beside her, noting the abrupt clearing from the trees. They were on the edge of the clearing.

A bright light radiated from a white fire berry in the clearing, illuminating a shape beside it on the ground. The shape was a dragon, with one of their wings broken, sticking upwards.

"Countenance." Was all Moxie said. Fate's Hollow - the hollow tree was behind Countenance and looked exactly like the sketch he made.

He couldn't believe it. His vision came true - was true this entire time. He wished it wasn't. He wished the moons didn't say anything. _But I wouldn't have been able to find him_.

He wished that he did more.

_The fireberry wasn't in my vision_. He realised. Something definitely wasn't right. He turned to Verace and whispered "Someone else is here."

Verace stalked forward, drawing the spear beside her.

Moxie closed his eyes and imagined a fire with cinders rising. Sure enough, he saw two glowing embers pulsating. One was Verace, and the other...was familiar but he wasn't sure. That someone was close by, though.

Then he heard scattered thoughts that neither his own or Verace's. _No tracks...Gone for too long...No. Tracks covered... _

He recognised those thoughts and opened his eyes. Verace was closer to Countenance now but she was still scanning the area.

He gaped at her, wanting to say something but then something moved behind the hollow tree. Someone.

Moxie watched carefully as a long orange neck peered from around the tree. Their eyes were illuminated by the fireberry. Green eyes. Unmistakable green emerald eyes.

"Komodo," Moxie said.

Komodo noticed him and then Verace, and he slithered from behind the tree, stepping forward. "Moxie? He examined Moxie and then turned to Verace. "But you - no - it couldn't have been." He shook his head, his thoughts scattered like before. Evaluating. "What are you doing here?"

Moxie gaped again but couldn't form a sentence. "Countenance," he then said.

"What are you doing here, rainwing?" Verace asked with a sharp tone.

"This-" Komodo's eyes darted at Countenance and then Verace, then the spear in her talon. She sounded too aggressive. "This isn't what it looks like," he said quickly, backing away. Moxie felt panic surge through his mind, suddenly snatching his usual calm thinking. "It wasn't me!"

"You haven't answered my question." She circled around the tree, closer to Komodo and he stepped backwards as she came closer. "What are you doing here, rainwing?"

Moxie staggered forward. "Wait!"

"I swear it wasn't me!" The rainwing clenched the ground and then spread his wings.

"Stay where you are!" But Komodo didn't take her warning, turning away and leaping into the air.

The hollow tree blocked Moxie's view, and Verace went after Komodo. All he heard was a loud whack and soon the sound of them crashing to the ground.

"Verace!" Moxie rushed around the tree.

Verace was standing on Komodo, one talon on his neck and another on his shoulder, meanwhile pointing her spear at his face. A warning: no sudden movements.

Komodo tried to wiggle free. "It wasn't me, please!"

"Quiet!" Verace hissed. "You're under arrest for the murder of the nightwing: Countenance."

"No! No!" Komodo flailed around, momentarily knocking Verace off-balance. She stabilised, then twirled her spear around, gripping it with two talons and leaned back. She poised the blunt end of the spear and plunged downwards, gaining momentum and then-

Moxie looked away as he heard the thud of the spear hitting Komodo. When he looked back, Komodo was knocked out and Verace was breathing heavily.

_All that_, Moxie begun to think as he turned towards Countenance's body. _For this_. He stepped closer to the body of his brother.

Blood had run and dried all over his forelegs, and there was a hole in his stomach. Stabbed, by the looks of it. Yet there was dried blood on his shoulders. Oozy blood - not dry yet but black - ran down from the limbs of his wings, coming from the snapped white bone from his wing.

Moxie gagged and looked away for a moment, closing his snout with a talon to keep the rising warm bile in his throat.

He realised Countenance's eyes were still open. Moxie gently ran his talon over his brother's eyes, closing them - to look at peace. For something here to look at peace.

"Moxie," Verace called softly but Moxie didn't turn to her.

Instead he looked up to the night sky.

"I did it," He said somberly. It was for the moons. "I found him. That was what you wanted me to know, wasn't it?"

For some reason, he still felt like he was missing something.

Something still wasn't right.


	6. Chapter 6

"I swear I didn't kill him. I didn't kill Countenance."

Moxie shivered. He kept his eyes on Komodo, even on the other side of a panel of one-way translucent leaves, Moxie felt as if the rainwing spoke directly to him. And he couldn't but feel that it was true. Somehow. He couldn't explain the sensation.

"Cold?" Asked Verace. She came up beside him and lifted her wing.

Moxie side-stepped away, clearing his throat. "No. No, I'm fine."

It wasn't that it was cold in the interrogation block, it was everything else. His vision, all this pandering and pondering, only for it to lead to this. He trusted Komodo. Still did, even though Komodo's current position stated the contrary.

The Moons led him to this. He couldn't see them now and never wanted to see them again. Not when it reminded him of this.

The room was carved out of grey rock, with only a metal door to keep interrogates in, and a hole looking into the interrogation room. It was big enough to see everything in the room but small enough to be covered by the leaves and keep dragons from escaping that way.

The warden was the one that sat opposite Komodo, asking the questions and writing down the responses on a scroll. Did the warden feel that the matter was personal to him as well?

"You were at the site of the murder," said the warden. "You did not alert the authorities of the discovery, especially since Countenance had been reported missing a night prior. We have two witnesses at the scene, one of authority that you did not heed."

"I panicked!" Komodo contested. His scales were brandished in a mix of turquoise and orange. "I don't why I panicked but I did. I _did _not murder him. Why would I? He was my friend."

"So you just happened to know where his deceased body was?"

"I didn't know! Not at first. I was given a tip and since I had no other lead I decided to follow it. That's why I didn't tell anyone. If it was fake then I would have expended energy and time that I could've used on proving it or not."

"Can you believe that?" Verace muttered.

_Yes, I do._

Despite all the mental noise around him, Moxie was able to track Komodo's mind but it was barely full words. Just shreds of thoughts and blots of images, both dark and vibrant. It was barely anything useful.

The warden scribbled on the scroll. Despite Komodo's rushed demeanour, the older nightwing remained relatively calm. "And who gave you the tip?"

Komodo clenched his jaw and slowly said, "I can't say. My user anonymity and integrity agreement protects them and I _cannot _breach it, as much as I want to."

Verace nudged him suddenly. "Can't you find out if he's lying, or what he's thinking?"

"It's not as easy as it sounds," Moxie replied, his eyes still on Komodo. "He has to be thinking it hard, like really hard. I'm not Moonwatcher, I can't just go through his head."

"Right, sorry."

"Those two nightwings - Count's kin, just coincidentally found me a short while after I found Count's body. Evidence points me at the scene after Count had been deceased. I had nothing to do with his death," Komodo said. "Talk to them about it – talk to Diamondclaws, she knows that I couldn't have done this."

Komodo's gaze flickered between the warden and the leaves, that, despite them only being see-through one-way, the rainwing began to stare at a single point, and that point was directly at Moxie.

"Search my office, you'll find something there. Something that might help you," he said.

That comment was not meant for the warden, that was meant for Moxie.

Soon, Komodo's eyes fled back down to the warden, who was scribbling something down.

Moxie whirled around but Verace grabbed his wrist. "Where are you going?" she demanded.

"To go search his office," Moxie said. "He didn't kill Count. This is the only to find out who really did."

Verace stared at him for some time. Then, her grip relaxed and she let him go. "Go, then. I'll stay here, just in case he says anything else."

Moxie nodded and obeyed.

He had to fly across the village. Dragons started to gather in the plaza and noise accumulated. It was then that Moxie remembered that it was the 29th Winter-Spring celebrations, which explained all the noise, at least.

When Moxie reached Komodo's office, he realised he wasn't the only one there. Deception was there too. She looked as if she had been waiting, completely unaware of the predicament that Komodo was in.

She hummed to herself quietly and then smiled as Moxie approached the office. The eerie stillness of her mind still bothered him. It wasn't that he poked around other dragons' mind that much but that they still made noise when he wasn't paying attention to them. Their thoughts became white-noise in his mind, but for Deception's mind...there was no noise at all.

"Well hello there," Deception greeted energetically. "I'm afraid that Komodo seems to be really busy elsewhere if you're looking for him. I've been waiting here for ages."

"Komodo's been arrested," Moxie said.

Her head tilted at the surprise, too dramatically for his liking. "_Really?_ Well that explains it. Here I was wasting my time waiting, huh!" she said. "What for? What did he do?"

"He's been arrested for murdering my brother."

"Oh my, that is very tragic," she said in a defeated tone. She tapped her talons on the ground, each tap making a clinking sound, like metal. "What do I do now?" she muttered.

"Um, I need to search his office for something," Moxie pointed. "Do you need something from there too?"

"Huh?" Deception looked at him. "Oh, no. No, no. I think I have everything I could possibly need from him."

Moxie turned away from her, heading for the door to the office, but just as he turned his head, a distinct shine caught his eye. Shine from something reflective.

He stopped in his tracks and jerked his head to find the source. It was a ring on one of Deception's claws. He didn't notice it until now.

The band was metal, crowned by a small black stone in the middle. It was a dull stone but speckled with flecks of silver.

Small, dull, black and speckled. He heard of a stone like that before...one that was rare.

Then the thought came to him.

"Skyfire."

"Hmm," said Deception, sounding genuinely startled.

Moxie's eyes darted between Deception and the ring. "You're wearing skyfire."

Deception looked down at her talon, flexing out her claws. "Oh, that's my ring. My friend bought me that at a market one night. I think it looks really pretty. Don't you?"

"But...how - how did you get..." Moxie stumbled backwards as Deception lifted her talon to him and he gestured for her to lower her talon. "You - your friend could not have possibly _just bought it from the market one night_. Skyfire is exceedingly rare and valuable. It's worth _so much_."

"Well, lucky me then." Deception admired the ring. _Pretended _to admire it. Moxie knew what real admiration was, and it didn't help that her eyes darted at him repeatedly.

Something clicked in his mind. "You knew about it all along."

Deception dropped her talon, her face becoming nonchalant as she turned towards him. "Hm?"

"You knew you were wearing skyfire." No reaction. "But why would you wear skyfire? Why?" Moxie pondered. "Because you wanted to keep something safe. Safe from some dragon like me." Again, no reaction, other than maybe the slight curved of her lips. Or perhaps he just imagined that. "You wanted to keep something from me."

"Well, then." Then Deception smiled. A real, genuine smile. A smile that made Moxie's heart race and his spikes tense. "It's good to know that your brother didn't carry all the brains in the family. I was beginning to wonder if Countenance was even related to you and your sister."

"My sister?" Why would she mention her? "What do you want with Verace?"

"Nothing, not anymore. She's as dim as stone, didn't even question why I was wondering about Countenance."

"You - you know what happened to Countenance?" Moxie blurted.

"Well..."

"You killed him, didn't you?" No reply. "He knew something about you. He found out, and then you found out he knew, and you had him killed for it."

"Not straight away," she said. "I offered him something because of it and he refused. Last mistake. He should have taken my offer, otherwise none of this would've happened."

"He'd never take anything from you," Moxie said bitterly. "What were you hiding?"

"You don't know?" Deception questioned and then grinned. "Well, I guess there's nothing you can do."

"That's not true," he said adamantly. "I'm going to tell Diamondclaws about this, and she's going to lock you up forever. You'll never see the light of day or the silver of the moons again."

"What do you have to prove that?" she asked. A good question. "You have nothing, no evidence."

"She'll believe what I have to say." Moxie whirled around and spread his wings.

"No she won't. She won't believe anything that you have to say."

Moxie looked over his shoulder at her. "We'll see about that." He lifted off the ground.

"Don't bother Moxie!" Deception yelled. "Give up! You have nothing to show but yourself!"

He could only pray that that wasn't true. _I won't lose to you._

The plaza was beginning to fill by the time Moxie got there. There was enough space for him to land near Diamondclaws' office. He opened the door and went in unprompted.

Diamondclaws stared at him from behind her desk, standing on her hind feet to reach something on the high shelves.

"Moxie!" She said, startled. She fell to her feet and tidied her wings. "I just heard about your brother and that they found his mur-"

"Komodo didn't kill Countenance," Moxie said.

Diamondclaws froze, hit by a wave of suddenness and confusion. "What?"

"It was Deception. She just admitted it to me. She was hiding something when Countenance found out. She had him killed because of it."

"I - I can't believe...what?" Diamondclaws stammered. "I'm having a hard time processing this."

"I know, it's a lot but it's true." _Please, please believe me._

"But, I mean, you saw Komodo there at the Hollow and found Count's body and you came back to tell us. I thought the mystery was solved and now you're telling me that it's not?" She asked. "And that it's Deception?"

"That's right."

She pressed a claw to her brow, furrowing. "I'm sorry, Moxie. I know that Deception doesn't have the friendliest of names but that doesn't mean she's actually _deceiving _anyone."

"But - but she is!" he said. "She told me, flatly admitted to killing him!"

"_She told you_," Diamondclaws echoed slowly.

_Oh no. Deception was right. I don't have anything._

"I'm sorry, Moxie, but without evidence, I -"

"Then I'll get some! I'll show you, I promise."

Moxie turned around and hurried out the door but didn't take another step.

He needed evidence, but how? And where? Deception most likely trashed Countenance's office, taking anything about her secret.

_She could've missed something. _He thought, giving himself a shred of hope. _I could've missed something._

Moxie lifted into the air and took off in the direction of Countenance's office.

The doors were still closed from his last visit, and the hanged bundle of orange fireberries were dimmer than he remembered.

With Countenance gone, his office would belong to Moxie and Verace as next of kin. Yet, Moxie couldn't take up where Countenance left off, he didn't even have any training for Moon's sake. No, they'd probably give it back to Diamondclaws to lend to some other dragon, completely unaware of its significance.

The room was exactly how he left it. His badge was still on the desk, and the desk was surrounded by the pond of scrolls. He could've looked through each one, but Deception would've done that already, as meticulous as it sounded. She seemed like the dragon to take as many precautions as possible.

Still...

Moxie grabbed a crumpled scroll from the ground and flattened it.

_Nothing._

Then another.

_Nothing._

Another.

_Nothing._

Another. And another. And another. And another.

_Nothing. Nothing. Nothing._

"NOTHING!" He tensed and closed his eyes.

THUD!

Next thing he knew when he opened his eyes was that he had circled all the way around and that the desk had flipped over. He did that.

He took a step and winced, feeling a sharp sting. He scanned his talon and saw a splinter sticking between his scales. He plucked it, biting his tongue as he did.

A glint caught his eye. It came from his badge, now on the ground. The rod was jagged, he realised. At first it seemed to be a pin mechanism. But those jagged edges reminded him of a key's.

"A key!"

Moxie quickly picked it up and examined the jagged end, and then looked at the safe in the wall. It was unopened, and the only place Deception could never look into, and could never clear out.

"Countenance, you did it." _He must've given it me thinking it'd be safe with me. Oh, Countenance. You knew it was becoming more dangerous as time went on. You had to keep yourself and us safe. _

_I won't let her win._

He inserted the key into the keyhole of the safe and turned it slowly until his ears pricked at the click. The door opened slightly and Moxie pulled it all the way open.

Inside was a stack of paper documents – not scrolls, just short sheets. Gold nuggets and small gems of every colour caught his eye, along with a white and pink pearl necklace at the back. He guessed they were probably a form of payment for his work by clients.

_This is how he must have given me the gold and the jade and ebony. _Moxie smiled, thinking of the small collection of minerals he had prized at home.

He pulled out he stack of paper and scanned through each one. There was nothing about Deception...until the second last sheet. Smaller parchments of paper were pinned on top – receipts, written testimonies from other dragons and then scribbled names of dragons.

He lifted the paper and underneath was labelled: '_TALONS OF POWER (A NEW ORDER)'._

Moxie breathed slowly.

_The Talons of Power? Here? That's impossible._

He looked down under the title, his eyes following a brief list of names. There were some sandwings, some seawings, and then some nightwings.

And at the very bottom, very clearly written was the name -

"Deception."

There was a rustle outside, directing Moxie's attention to the doorway, then the soft footsteps waded around the building. Moxie followed the noise, leading his gaze to the back of the office. A shadow moved outside the window. That was all he needed to conclude that was being followed and watched.

He still had the satchel from earlier that night, and he slid the document into it. He had to hurry.

Fleeing the office, he immediately took to the air and headed back to the plaza.

There were dragons flying around, none that bid him any attention, but he couldn't help that sense that they were all watching him in the corner of their eyes.

The plaza was full of dragons and there was no space to land.

Instead, Moxie found a dragon-free patch outside the market area, forcing him to walk the rest of the way to Diamondclaws' office.

_Why did it have to be tonight?_

There were dragons everywhere. Every step he took involved pushing up against another set of scales, and them with him. He was getting closer, at least.

A dragon bumped into his side. "Oops, excuse me."

Moxie couldn't see who they were. There wasn't enough room for him to turn around and look. No, he had to press on.

Finally, he saw the door to her office and jutted it open, excusing himself to the dragons around him and quickly barged inside.

"Diamondclaws! I have it!" He announced.

Diamondclaws was at her desk, facing forward this time, now awaiting him.

Moxie opened his satchel and felt around. There was nothing.

The satchel was empty.

Diamondclaws tried to withhold a sigh. "Moxie-"

"No! No, I had it!" He said. "I mean – I had it right here! I swear!"

"_Moxie_," She said intently, breathing heavily. "I get it, it's been long night for you. You're probably very tired and right now, so am I. The Winter-Spring celebrations is just about to start and I don't have the time for this."

"You don't understand, I had it, I had proof. Countenance wrote it," Moxie said. "He said – he said that..." When Moxie looked up at Diamondclaws there was no sympathy in her this time. She was just as rushed as he was.

_I have nothing to show but myself._

He took a deep breath and looked down. "He said nothing. I'm sorry."

"Moxie," she said calmly. "Go home, get some rest. Or look at the markets and relax for the rest of the night."

That was all he ever did during these celebrations anyway.

"Yes," he responded quietly. "Enjoy your night, Diamondclaws."

Moxie walked outside. Suddenly everything felt quieter than it just was. There was still a crowd in the plaza. Dragons weaved amongst each other. He didn't know any of them but...

Across the plaza, there was a dragon sitting, looking in his direction.

It was Deception.

And the grin she had on her face would be one Moxie couldn't ever forget. She flaunted her empty talon, one that had the skyfire ring prior.

He heard her thought loud and clear, even from the other side of the plaza. _Oh, Moxie. Missing something?_

Somehow, there was no rage in him, just the quiet hum of defeat.

Because Deception was right. She had always been right.

_You win._


	7. Epilogue

In the light of the three Moons, Moxie flew outside the rainforest to find a flat rock next to a river bank.

It had a little more than a year since Countenance died; since Moxie tried to find his real murderer. He did find them, his murderer being the sly nightwing named Deception. He still remembered the grin on her face and every word she said to him.

He failed to bring her to justice.

It had been a little more than a year of constantly looking over his shoulder, around every corner and behind every tree branch. He still had to follow his job, to keep going and act like nothing had really changed since Countenance died, other than he was gone forever.

His daily job of patrolling had him outside the village for many hours. Every time he flew into a part of the rainforest that was too quiet, he knew someone was there, and went another way, perhaps saving his life.

There were so many times he wanted to tell Verace, to tell her why he was being so cautious, so twitchy. But she'd never understand. And he didn't want to drag her into the danger he was in, too.

But tonight was a special night.

Moxie awoke to find two scrolls sealed with green sap outside the door, one from the warden and the other from Diamondclaws. Sealed for him. He didn't have a vision – has never had one since the day Countenance disappeared – but instantly he knew what they were about.

So he finally flew outside the village and never looked over his shoulder, and embraced the quiet hum of his surroundings.

The moon beams were the perfect light to read the sealed letters. He carefully chose the warden's scroll first, breaking the seal and letting it roll out.

It read:

"_To Moxie,_

_I deliver with great delight, the true murderer of the nightwing Countenance. His death was admitted following the arrest, with proof and testimonies from accomplices, of the nightwing Deception. _

_It is of great relief to me that such a grievous dragon has been brought to justice and that we all will rest a bit easier. _

_Unfortunately, she has also admitted Komodo's part in the murder, so I'm afraid I'll have to revoke your requests to release him. His sentence has been reduced, though. That was all I could do._

_May the great moons guide you._

_-Warden Nightwatch."_

It irked Moxie how Komodo was still at fault for something he never did. Deception knew she could've brought down one more poor dragon with her as she descended.

He did all he could to help Komodo, yet it was never enough.

He celebrated this victory, though, that Deception was finally caught and rightfully imprisoned for everything she's done. She was in the Talons of Power after all, and the Talons were responsible for the bombing of the Winter-Spring celebrations not even a month ago.

The Talons deserved everything they got in the end – destroyed.

Then, Moxie unrolled the second scroll, sent by Diamondclaws and held it under the light.

"_Dear Moxie,_

_Please accept my deepest apologies for not believing you about Deception. She fooled all of us, except you, and I didn't listen. I should've never brought your loyalty into question. You have done everything right for our tribe, our rainforest, and there is no amount of reward I can give to you for what you've done._

_Despite all the transgressions against you, you have stood with your wings wide and brave in the face of adversity, including me._

_Please, come visit me when you can. There is truly no amount that I can offer but I may propose something that can provide some recompense for your devotion to our tribe._

_I look forward to working closer with you._

_Keep your claws sharp and mind sharper._

_-Mayor Diamondclaws."_

Moxie had no idea what Diamondclaws was talking about but he became curious at least.

At last, he could look up at the sky – at the moons and think to himself.

_This is all I wanted. _


End file.
